


Etro's Blessing: Vignettes

by pockymun



Series: The Paradox and the Prophecy: Supplementary Writings [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Drabbles, Gen, I will add them as they come up in my other works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24143950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pockymun/pseuds/pockymun
Summary: Brief, supplemental drabbles that go along with The Paradox in the Prophecy series.
Series: The Paradox and the Prophecy: Supplementary Writings [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066928
Kudos: 1





	1. Layla

Her head throbbed. The grittiness of the ground, uncomfortable as it was, caused her to stir, first opening her eyes to dark surroundings, then sitting up in a daze. Her feet were cold; where were her shoes?

Everything hurt, but she couldn't see any injuries on herself. She blinked a few more times, noting the trees on either side of the road, and how still everything was. Even at night, the lines of the road could be discernible.

It suddenly dawned on her that she shouldn't be laying in the middle of a large road like this. Getting to her feet, she scurried to the shoulder, the asphalt feeling like pins on her soles. Yet no sooner did she do that, did the stillness break.

A dark pool suddenly bubbled on the road. Something large emerged—a hulking figure with an equally large sword. The woman tried creeping behind the trees, but the monster already spotted her and raised the sword over its head.

She dashed to the right as the sword came down, thankful that she was not wearing the heels she assumed accompanied her black dress. The force of the impact caused her to fall on the ground again. She flopped onto her back as the monster approached and raised its sword again.

There was the sudden squealing of tires braking, but neither of them paid attention to that. The woman raised an arm to block the attack, although that was useless. She shut her eyes as the sword came down.

The sword struck something just above her outstretched fingers, and slid off to the side. The woman opened her eyes again to see some kind of purple-hued dome encasing her body. She looked around for any other monster that could have trapped her.

Meanwhile, the large creature was distracted by the appearance of a man, who charged with a short sword in hand. She watched helplessly in her bubble as he hacked away at the monster.

In a flash, the man was picked up by a large hand, which then began to crush him. The woman looked around for something useful, and clawed at her bubble to let her free. When she gave up, it disappeared.

As she stood, she felt a rage well up towards the monster. But what could an unarmed person like herself do to defeat it? Even the armed man couldn't hurt it, finally dropped to the ground as the monster took notice of her again.

Planting her feet in the ground, the woman raised an arm again, although she wasn't sure what that was supposed to do. There was suddenly a flash of green, shooting from her hand and expanding as it approached the giant creature. The green sphere lit the whole area with an omnimous glow as it collided with the monster. It gave a roar over the sound of the orb's deafening wind, which intensified until the orb shrank and disappeared, the monster gone with it.

Everything became still and silent again. The woman stood stunned for several seconds, as if it was a trick of the eyes and the monster would still be there. She even blinked several times, but it didn't reappear. Nor did the orb, as some kind of magic of her own.

The man was pushing himself up carefully as she let it go and approached him. He cradled one arm as he stood precariously. He looked around, surprised to see the threat was gone.

“What did you do?” He demanded, wiping some dirt from his face.

“I don't know.” She shrugged.

Looking her over, the man grimaced. “What's your name?”

“I don't know that either.”

The woman's answer stumped him. He shook his head. “Let's get out of here before more show up. Can you drive?”

“I think so.”

They went towards his truck, still idling in the middle of the road. He got into the passenger seat without help. She took her place in the driver's seat, gingerly handling the wheel and pedals. Following his directions, she eventually began to relax. Maybe she did know how to drive. It was much more dangerous at night with monsters around.

They came to some kind of settlement, where lights kept the monsters away. Both were checked for injuries, the man's arm was set and put into a sling. The local sheriff came by with questions, none of which the woman couldn't answer very well. Even more people were stumped when the woman couldn't identify herself.

They were given a meal, which both appreciated. The man, who had since been identified as Caden, could thankfully use his dominant hand. Others lingered to question the mysterious lady.

She didn't have much to say for herself after telling everyone that she knew nothing about herself. Cadan, on the other hand, filled everyone in on the surprisingly successful hunt.

“The daemon hurt me pretty good, but then she jumped in and used magic to kill it!” He explained to everyone. Quite a few brows rose at that claim.

“Like the Kingsglaive's magic?” A dull-looking man asked, looming over the back of Caden's chair.

“Does a Glaive dress like that?” A passing woman gestured aggressively towards her black dress and bare feet. The woman of the hour felt her face become red. It was a poor outfit for these parts.

“Well, you have a city accent, so that's probably where you came from.” Caden leaned back, finished with his meal as he used less table manners than she did. “But you just woke up on the side of the road?”

She gave a nod, and an older woman seated with them—the cook—tutted. She turned towards him. “You know, I've heard the mafia is big in the city. Someone could have beat her poor head in, and dumped her outside of the city. It wouldn't be the first time.” She turned towards her. “It may be best that you avoid Insomnia.”

If she was right, then avoiding the city was the right choice to make. However, something about that idea didn't sit well with the woman. She felt that it was something else that led her to lose her memories and wake up on the side of the road. But she didn't want to discuss it with strangers.

“Could've been the Nifs,” The dull man countered the cook. “They just took a girl away in Cleigne for no good reason. Won't say what they did to her, so I'm guessing they just killed her because she was somewhere she shouldn't have been.”

They all looked at the mysterious woman at that, but she kept silent. She once more tried to remember anything. Nothing came to her—especially not Imperials.

“Well, I don't think we're going to figure out what happened for awhile. Whatever you decide to do now, you won't get anywhere without a name.” Caden pointed out.

“I can't think of what it was.” The woman felt tired of repeating herself.

“Just pick one. You might like it better than your old one.”

She thought for a long moment while she finished eating. Everyone else seemed to be waiting as well. Eventually, something did come to mind.

“Layla.” She wondered what significance it had to her in her past life. Whatever it was, it would do for now.


	2. Crowe

There had been a sudden squealing of tires, and she was suddenly hit, her bike crumpling away from underneath her as she went flying off of the road. She laid there in the dirt for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Without her helmet on, she had hit her head hard on the ground.

Reaching for her watch, she began setting it. She became aware of men approaching, blurry in her concussed state. She tried saying something—probably ask for help—but she couldn't get the words out. One yanked her up by the hair, and her vision started to improve.

“Luche?”

He stood in front of her. She registered the gun only a moment later.

“It's nothing personal, Crowe. We just can't have you getting in the way.” He pulled back the hammer. “I'm sorry.”

Then there was a gunshot and a sharp pain in her middle. Crowe cried out, but whoever gripped her hair kept her from falling over. Another shot came, and then it went dark.

It stayed dark and quiet for a long moment. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was dead, and she had failed her mission—the most important mission she could have ever had. Instead, she was dead on the side of the road, killed before she could even start it. A fitting end for a clanless orphan.

Something glimmered in the darkness, approaching her. It soon turned out to be a shining woman, overall bigger than herself. She gave a smile.

“Crowe,” She greeted, showing a brief look of pity. “Your actions would have changed everything to come, if it wasn't for the traitors in your midst.”

The reminder that there were traitors among the Kingsglaive was like getting shot all over again, but this time, Crowe was angry. After losing their home and fighting battles for their king, they had become like family. She sure as hell didn't have anyone else. Why would family kill her?

“Who are you?” She demanded, glancing around. Their surroundings were completely dark. The glowing woman was all that there was.

The demand didn't upset her, but a sad expression crossed her face. “The people of ancient times called me Etro, before Bahamut replaced me as the patron deity over the House Lucis Caelum. Did no one ever mention me?”

Crowe pondered the information, wondering whether to believe this strange woman or not. The Glaive hadn't been bothered with the history of the king's lineage. They just fought for him on the promise that their home would be free from Niflheim someday. With the treaty signing, though, they all realized that their king was letting them down. Maybe Tredd had been right; they were just used as soldiers in a losing war. Whether they lived or died didn't really matter to the Lucians.

“This doesn't have to be the end for you,” Etro said with a soft expression. “I can give you a second chance at life to protect the Oracle. All is not lost yet.”

Crowe almost voiced her doubts, but instead gave it some thought. She didn't put much thought into gods; where were the gods when Galahd fell, or when she was exiled from her village when she was just a little girl? They may have granted magic to ancient rulers long ago, but they certainly didn't give a damn about the world now. Why should the world care about them either?

She knew enough about the gods to know that this was not one of the Six. There were Messengers, but would a Messenger claim to be a god? This could be some kind of trap. Yet Crowe hated to have failed. She had failed the king, her commander, her comrades, her brothers, and the Oracle.

This new goddess had said Crowe's mission would have changed everything. What was going to happen to Princess Lunafreya?

“You could really do that?” She questioned tentatively.

“You doubt me,” Etro stated. “I don't fault you for that. But don't let doubts take away an opportunity.”

Crowe thought some more. “I'll do it.”

Etro smiled, pleased. “The powers your king granted you were passed down originally from Bahamut, and to take that away from you and make you start all again would be cruel. You are naturally gifted with magic.”

“What are you talking about?” Crowe demanded again, doubting the decision she had just made.

“You will return to life with my Blessing.” Etro explained. “I will not take you to the other side yet. You can still change what is about to happen. Your actions will make all the difference in the world.”

“How? What is that supposed to mean?” Crowe asked, then realized that the light around the larger woman was fading, as was she.

She gave a farewell smile. “Crowe, if I told you everything, then you wouldn't learn anything for yourself. Destiny isn't set in stone like you are taught to believe.”

Two faces appeared in the dark, fading with Etro's light. They were two dark-haired women, one of which was older and had blue eyes. The other was younger and with gray eyes. Just as the faces faded, Crowe realized she had seen the other before: she was the strange woman that had been brought into Insomnia a year before.

“Find the others with my Blessing. Only together can you withstand what's to come.”

And with that, everyone was gone.

* * *

Crowe opened her eyes to a dull gray sky, slowly turning pink. She propped herself up on her elbows to see the sun peaking over some far off hills on the horizon. Her surroundings were dirt, spotted with the occasional dry brush. There were decrepit buildings at the corners of the road, riddled with so many holes that they were easy to look through.

She stood up at one corner. Her bike was gone. There was no sign of the van that hit her, or the traitors that attacked her afterwards. She was the only living thing around.

The sunrise chased away all of the daemons of the night, but there were still wild creatures to worry about. Crowe couldn't see any kind of town; she had been dropped off far enough from the city that spies shouldn't have suspected a thing. However, now it made her unsure of which direction the city was in.

Should she return without Lady Lunafreya? Etro, if she was being truthful, said there was still time to see the mission through. Crowe must not have been dead that long. The other part—that of there being traitors within the Kingsglaive—was also a pressing issue that needed to be reported. Luche and the others could still be working among them. She hoped Libertus and Nyx realized it and did something. With her own mission sabotaged by her comrades, Crowe could assume that the princess was in more danger than they all knew.

She picked a direction and began walking. She would find the closest town, and from there find out where she was. Maybe they'd even have bikes there. Though checking her pockets, Crowe realized that she didn't have any money on her.

It wasn't far into her trek that she saw something interesting in a nearby trash heap—her bike. It was mangled, with some parts having been torn off completely in the crash. The saddle bags hadn't been scratched too much. Crowe dug through them for her effects. Someone must have already did the same. There wasn't any money; all that was left was her Glaive uniform.

Throwing the bags over her shoulder, Crowe continued walking up the road. It wouldn't fly if she returned with Lady Lunafreya, but not in her proper uniform. Everyone at the Citadel was huge on decorum. Crowe wasn't going to look like a fool in her moment of honor.

The sun rose quite high in the sky before she caught sight of an outpost. She had been lucky enough to be left alone by the wildlife. She considered trading in her uniform for money; she was starving and in need of a drink.

There was a lot more activity at the outpost than she would have thought. Crowds of people milled about glumly. A couple of buses were parked on the side of the road. Crowe observed them as she walked into the gas station. She could probably swipe a few things there, especially for how crowded it was.

Everyone standing by the front door seemed to be reading newspapers. Everywhere she looked, the front page was there: “Insomnia Falls”.

Forgetting about food, Crowe found the nearly-empty newspaper stand and picked up a copy for herself. She scanned the front page. Tempers flew at the signing ceremony, and it all spiraled into chaos from there. The wall fell at King Regis's death. Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya were also slain by Niflheim.

Crowe didn't bother flipping through the pages to find the rest of the story. She dropped the paper back into the stand and walked out of the gas station.

Her mission was over. Lady Lunafreya was dead. Drautos had said that she would be in Tenebrae, and while the Emperor wasn't looking, Crowe was to escort her to Altissia for her wedding. But the Emperor must have suspected something, taking the princess to Insomnia to tease the people, and then have her killed.

Crowe had been brought back to life just to fail all over again.

“Shit.” She swore to herself.

Everything was all wrong. It should have made sense by now that Niflheim would go back on their word. They endangered the princess so carelessly. And Crowe had been killed by part of her own family. She had been sent off on a fool's errand.

She felt helpless. There had been nothing about the Kingsglaive or the Crownsguard on the front page, other than to say that all efforts were overtaken. That couldn't mean that Lib and Nyx were dead too.

That was something Crowe could do. It was almost impossible to know who she could trust among the Kingsglaive, but she knew those two wouldn't betray the crown, no matter what Niflheim offered them. She just hoped they hadn't been killed in the cross fire. Nyx loved being heroic.

She walked into the diner then. Despite the crowded booths of refugees from Insomnia, it was quiet. Everyone seemed to be listening to the radio as it continued to report on the fallout of the treaty signing. Crowe listened for any word on the Glaive as she joined a line, shuffling along for the free meal promised to refugees. It wasn't her first time being called that.

Nothing was mentioned the entire time she was there. She took a small seat at a booth that was offered to her, squeezing in among strangers. A lot of people remained in the city until Niflheim's martial law. There was a resistance, and it would make perfect sense for Nyx and Lib to join it. But Crowe quickly realized that showing her face in the city wouldn't be a smart idea, after she had been killed. The king was gone, and so was the magic he granted to the Kingsglaive. In any case, it didn't sound as though anyone was allowed into the city while things were still so intense.

She considered going home, back to Galahd, before remembering that the resistance there made Niflheim keep a tight grip on the island. She couldn't imagine what it was like now after Insomnia fell.

Crowe could join this caravan of refugees to Lestallum, and hope to find friendly faces there. There were some Crownsguards here, but none that Crowe recognized. There were likely to be more at Lestallum, and they could tell her more.

But there was a stronger urge to see Insomnia for herself. Was everyone truly just gone like that?

The buses were preparing to leave as she left the diner. Crowe walked against the flow of the crowd. She found a bike, stole it, and sped towards the city.


End file.
